The present invention generally relates to a recording medium cartridge such as a magnetic tape cartridge and more particularly to a recording medium cartridge such as a magnetic tape cartridge that is fitted with a non-contact type memory device capable of reading and writing various items of information in a non-contact manner. More specifically, the present invention relates generally to a recording medium cartridge for a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk or an optical recording medium, and more particularly to a recording medium cartridge fitted with a non-contact type memory device in such a form that information can be read therefrom and written thereto, for recording information given when producing the recording medium cartridge and information on contents of data recorded on the recording medium accommodated in the recording medium cartridge.
There have hitherto been known a variety of conventional magnetic tape cartridges such as a recording/reproducing tape cartridge used for a home- or official-use video tape recorder or a video camera, and, as a large capacity recording medium for a data backup in an external storage device (computer memory) such as a computer, a 2-reel type tape cartridge including a pair of take-up hubs wound with a magnetic tape and rotatably accommodated in a cartridge body (case) constructed of upper and lower halves, a 1-reel type tape cartridge accommodating rotatably a single tape take-up reel (tape reel) wound with the magnetic tape, and a disk type tape cartridge accommodating rotatably a single magnetic disk (or a magneto-optic disk). The variety of known magnetic tape cartridges are, for example, cartridges of such a type as to have openings of which structures and dimensional data are prescribed in JISX6127 (1992), JISX6129 (1993), JISX6130 (1996) and JISX6141 (1993) (which are hereinafter generically called a magnetic tape cartridge of which a structure and dimensional data are prescribed in JISX6127 (1992) and the like) and a cartridge of which a structure and dimensional data are prescribed in ECMA-288 and the like. The magnetic tape cartridges, especially those used as cartridges of recording mediums for storing the data of a computer and the like are recorded with important items of information such as backup data.
In those magnetic tape cartridges, if capable of specifying contents of the information recorded and types of the magnetic tapes without even reading the information from the magnetic tapes, this is effective in terms of storing and managing the magnetic tape cartridges and searching the recorded information. Especially in the magnetic tape cartridge used as a cartridge of the recording medium for storing the data of the computer and the like, if capable of simply recognizing only the general contents of the information recorded without accessing the magnetic tape, this is quite convenient. Under such circumstances, it is considered that a cartridge body and a cartridge case is attached with a non-contact type memory device (which will hereinafter also be referred to as a cartridge memory (CM)) including an IC memory capable of writing and reading the information in a non-contact manner. This non-contact type memory device itself does not have a power source and is operated by an induced current occurred by an electromagnetic inductive action of a data reading/writing unit provided on the side of a recording/reproducing device (deck).
In the case of attaching this non-contact type memory device to the cartridge body, the non-contact type memory device is normally disposed within the cartridge body in terms of increasing a degree of freedom of designing the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device of an external storage device and protecting the non-contact type memory device from an adhesion of dusts to this non-contact type memory device itself and an impact caused from outside. For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-317050 discloses a 1-reel type magnetic tape cartridge with the non-contact type memory device, as shown in FIG. 22, incorporated into the cartridge body. This magnetic tape cartridge 160 is inserted into the recording/reproducing device (deck unillustrated) in an arrow direction A.
A non-contact type memory device 162 used in this example includes a data transmitting/receiving antenna 164 and a memory device 166. The memory device 166 is a storage device such as a conventional memory chip that is capable of electronically taking out the information, and is stored with information on the magnetic tape cartridge 160 or information related to contents thereof. The data transmitting/receiving antenna 164 is classified as a coil antenna having a function of converting a magnetic field emitted from an antenna of the data reading/writing unit provided inside the deck and supplying the electric power to the data transmitting/receiving antenna 164 itself and the memory device 166 as well, and transmitting digital data given from the memory device 166 to the antenna of the deck-sided data reading/writing unit. This data transmitting/receiving antenna 164 is fitted in the vicinity of a bottom surface 168 and a rear surface 170 inside the magnetic tape cartridge 160. The data transmitting/receiving antenna 164 is attached at an angle of approximately 45° to both of the bottom surface 168 and the rear surface 170 of the magnetic tape cartridge 160 in the example shown in FIG. 22.
A first problem inherent in the prior art is, however, that when the non-contact type memory device is disposed inwardly of the cartridge body accommodating main components such as a tape reel and a magnetic tape, there is received a large restraint due to a space where a variety of members are disposed in the cartridge body and a space for winding the magnetic tape, and also a restraint and a limit in terms of a degree of freedom of designing a layout position of the non-contact type memory device. Further, with these restraints, it follows that there is received a restraint in a degree of freedom of designing a layout position of the data reading/writing unit of the non-contact type memory device provided on the side of the external storage device.
On the other hand, if the non-contact type memory device is attached somewhere outside the magnetic tape cartridge, there might be a high possibility in which the non-contact type memory device is easy to have a damage by an external force when the magnetic tape cartridge is stored and carried and when loaded (attached) into and detached from the external storage device, and the non-contact type memory device might become an obstacle when attached (loaded) to and detached from the deck. Further, the non-contact type memory device might become a hindrance when loaded and detached and might come off carelessly. Namely, there is a high probability that the surface of the non-contact type memory device might be damaged when loaded and detached, and, if exposed to the outside, the non-contact type memory device might come off due to an unexpected state.
Further, a manufacture of the magnetic tape cartridge fitted with the conventional non-contact type memory device, involves the use of a member for fixing and a device for fitting the non-contact type memory device, and hence there is a necessity of specially providing a work for fitting the non-contact type memory device. This requirement might lead to a complicated process of manufacturing the magnetic tape cartridge.
Moreover, in addition to the variety of above-mentioned problems arising when the non-contact type memory device is disposed outside the magnetic tape cartridge or inside the cartridge body, a second problem inherent in the prior art is that if the non-contact type memory device is attached to the outside of the magnetic tape cartridge, the non-contact type memory device might be easy to receive an influence by a magnetic field occurred by devices other than the data reading/writing unit of the non-contact type memory device provided in the external storage device.
Still further, a third problem inherent in the prior art is that as in the case of the magnetic tape cartridge shown in FIG. 22, when the non-contact type memory device is packaged into the cartridge case, the non-contact type memory device must be, if a defect of the non-contact type memory device is detected by an operation check after assembling the magnetic tape cartridge, exchanged by deassembling the external casing of the magnetic tape cartridge assembled, and this turns out to be a factor of causing a decline of efficiency of the operation and eventually an increase in cost due to a rise in the number of inspection steps.
Moreover, the non-contact type memory device is an expensive member, and therefore, even though the non-contact type memory device has no problem, if a drawback to the magnetic tape cartridge is detected, or if the magnetic tape cartridge becomes unusable for some reason, a problem is that the non-contact type memory device must be take out if it is to be used again by deassembling the magnetic tape cartridge.
Further, when the non-contact type memory device is disposed outside the magnetic tape cartridge or inside the cartridge case, as a matter of course, there similarly exist the variety of problems described above.
Further, various items of information are recorded on a recording medium of the recording medium cartridge such as the magnetic tape cartridge shown in FIG. 22 and so on, however, an arrangement that the above-mentioned cartridge memory (CM) is attached in order to specify contents of the information recorded and a type of the recording medium without reading the information from the magnetic recording medium, is on the verge of its utilization.
By the way, the magnetic tape cartridge exemplified in the prior art is classified as a 1-reel type magnetic tape cartridge accommodating the magnetic tape, and therefore has a large degree of freedom in terms of a fitting area of the cartridge memory within the cartridge. By contrast, however, a fourth problem of the prior art is that the recording medium cartridge of which the structure and the dimensional data are prescribed in JISX6127 (1992) and the like has, because of the cartridge accommodating inside a couple of take-up hubs wound with the magnetic tape, an extremely small degree of freedom in terms of the fitting area of the cartridge memory within the cartridge.
Further, the recording medium cartridge of which the structure and the dimensional data are prescribed in JISX6127 (1992) and the like includes an optical detecting device using a prism, for detecting an existence (of leading and tail edges) of the magnetic tape by utilizing a transparent portion connected to both of side edges of the magnetic tape wound extending on the couple of take-up hubs.
Then, a member including the prism configuring this optical detecting device is normally composed of a material exhibiting an excellent light transmissivity but different from a material constituting the body (containing upper and lower halves, a slider and the like) of the recording medium cartridge. This member is fitted by thermal welding to a predetermined position within the lower half.
By the way, a fifth problem of the prior art is that the items of information recorded on the cartridge memory in the recording medium cartridge shown in the prior art described above, are limited to the contents of the data recorded in the recording medium cartridge. Namely, a concept that production conditions are one-dimensionally managed by recording the cartridge memory with types and tool serial numbers (device serial numbers) with respect to raw materials, devices, jigs and the like which were used in the process of producing the cartridge memory, was not seen in the conventional recording medium cartridges.
It is, however, highly effective in tracing the process afterward and a countermeasure for claims that a cartridge memory capable of writing and reading in a non-contact manner is incorporated at an early stage of the production process of the recording medium cartridge, and detailed information on the production process thereafter is recorded on this cartridge memory.